From New York to Zitsa: How an American lawyer found a new life in the mountains of Epirus

Anna Ellis talks to NEO

By Kelly Fanarioti

When Anna Elis, an American environmental lawyer from New York, first visited Greece in 2009, she had no plans to stay. She was finishing her law degree and had traveled through Europe after a climate conference in Copenhagen.

Only a quick holiday stop in northwestern Greece turned into something life-changing when she met Kostas Karamihos, a young baker from the small mountain village of Zitsa. What began as a chance meeting grew into a long-distance friendship that soon turned to love.

“We stayed in touch every day after I left,” Anna says to NEO. “Eight months later I came back, and we realized this was real.”

Within a year she had left her job offer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and moved to Greece permanently.

“Looking back, I think I would never have survived in New York,” she says with a smile. “Here, life has a rhythm that feels human’’.

Anna Elis and Kostas Karamihos (the owners of the bakery)

Building a life in the village

At first, adjusting to village life was not easy. “The first year felt magical, but then reality set in,” she says. “I didn’t know the language, I missed friends, and everything worked differently.”

But over time, she grew to love the slower pace, the closeness of the community, and the connection to nature.

“In the city, everything is constant. Lights, noise, deadlines. Here, you live with the seasons. You eat what grows, you rest when the weather slows you down. The rhythm makes sense’”.

Fifteen years later, Anna and Kostas are raising two daughters in Zitsa, surrounded by vineyards, forests, and an ever-changing circle of visitors from around the world.

“Our children are growing up seeing people from every continent,” she says. “They talk to travelers in English, in Greek, even in bits of French or Italian. It’s completely normal to them’’.

Tradition Epirus pie with spinach

The bakery that became a cultural hub

And then what started as a small family bakery has grown into one of the most distinctive community spaces in Epirus. Kostas’s long-fermentation sourdough has earned a reputation far beyond the village, and his seasonal creations (focaccia, holiday breads, and the now-famous panettone) have been featured in international food blogs.

“Last Christmas our panettone went viral. We even shipped to Italy and Saudi Arabia”, Anna says.

Beyond baking, the couple has turned their craft into an experience. Visitors from across the world come to take part in their traditional pie-making workshops, learning to prepare local specialties such as spanakopita, tiropita and even creative versions like a “pestopita” with basil pesto. Each four-hour class ends with a shared meal of fresh pies, local Zitsa wine, and conversation among new friends.

“People are amazed that something so simple can bring so much joy,” says Anna. “They see how food connects cultures. You don’t need to speak the same language to bake together.”

Anna serving visitors during a mountain picnic she organized for foreign travelers

A library and a home for travelers

A few steps from the bakery, Anna manages another project close to her heart: The Book Garden. Originally a small bookshop, it now operates as a free community library and guest space for travelers.

“We moved all our books – around six thousand of them – into a large basement room next to a garden shop,” Anna explains. “It’s open to anyone who wants to borrow a book or needs a place to stay for a night or two.” The space has hosted hundreds of travelers over the years, from cycling adventurers and students to artists and families. “We’ve had people from every continent. Some stay a night, some a week, and many come back again.”

The mix of cultures has brought a quiet transformation to the area. “There are days when we sit down for lunch and realize there are five countries represented at the table,” Anna says. “That’s what I love most—how the world meets here in this little mountain village’’.

Baby tomatoes, eggs, mushroom, feta cheese in fyllo dough

Reviving a village

Zitsa, with a population of about 400, is one of the few Epirus villages that still has all levels of schooling, from kindergarten to high school. But like many rural areas in Greece, it faces a declining population. When a local teacher warned that the elementary school might close due to low enrollment, Anna and Kostas decided to act.

They launched a project to attract new families to the village, inspired by similar efforts elsewhere in Greece. “We now have fifteen families who want to move here,” Anna says proudly. “The first family with four children is arriving next week”.

The biggest challenge is housing. She says there are many empty homes, but often they belong to several cousins or families abroad. People don’t want to sell or rent them, even if they haven’t used them in years. Jobs, however, are less of a problem. “There’s potential here, like bakeries, small shops, farms, wineries, local food businesses, even positions in Ioannina, which is only twenty minutes away”.

Their efforts have drawn national attention. Last summer, Anna and Kostas spoke at a CNN Greece symposium on the demographic crisis, alongside government officials and other local innovators. “It was amazing to see how many people care about keeping these communities alive,” Anna says.

For readers of the Greek diaspora, Anna has a clear message. “If you have a family house in Zitsa or in the surrounding villages, please consider renting it to a family. It can make a real difference.”

She also invites anyone interested in a slower, more meaningful life to consider moving. “Zitsa isn’t a tourist village, it’s a living one. You can build something here. There is opportunity, nature, community, and space for new ideas.”

Anna no longer dreams of Manhattan. Her dreams live on the hillside, in the scent of sourdough, in the laughter of her children, and in the quiet belief that one village can welcome the world and maybe even grow again because of it.